26 Mar 2012 - Update Highest Rated Pain Stories Highest Rated Gain Stories Vodafail Local Facebook Page
Dear visitor,

Since its inception Vodafail.com has made a significant contribution towards raising awareness of the problems and issues faced by Vodafone customers.

Vodafone Australia customers have had the opportunity to voice their concerns, their fears and their troubles from every corner of Australia and beyond our borders. You have gathered the courage to stand up for your rights as consumers and to make your voice heard.

Each and every person who shared their story should have a sense of pride in this achievement and the changes that have occurred since the start of Vodafail.com.

More recently, traffic to Vodafail.com has declined significantly. Having achieved the goal of raising awareness and promoting concrete action in early 2011, we have now reached the point of closing Vodafail to new complaints. The site will remain online for as long as possible as a reminder and an example of what is possible when we share our experiences.

It has been a privilege to run this initiative and I'm am forever grateful for the help and support I've received. In particular I would like to thank Melissa, David and Travis for their continued efforts over the past 15 months. I'm also thankful and humbled by the support of ACCAN, Choice magazine and a wide range of media outlets, blogs and websites.

You can still browse existing stories and find out how to file a complaint if you are experiencing problems.

Until next time,

Adam Brimo

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5482 Someone from VIC thinks vodafone is Epic Fail at 27 Dec 2010 10:23:34 PM
This was the worst experience I've ever had.

I decided I wanted a new Iphone 4.
So I go to a store in elsternwick because I wanted to make sure that the plan I signed up for would include the bonus data as advertised. After I saw the representative use the website to place an internet order, I realise going to the store was a giant waste of time and I should have done it at home. I notice the guy enter my details twice, apparently a double deal they had going. I questioned him asking "I think doing that will order me 2 phones, I only want one", He assured me only one was getting ordered. I left the store, completely in doubt. So I call the Online Orders line, and after a 40 minute hold, get through. I ask to confirm that my order was for only 1 phone. Of course, it was for 2, and I had to go through the process of explaining to the online rep that it was the store rep's fault for stuffing it up.

The store rep told me it would take a maximum of 2 weeks for me to receive my iphone, 2 months later, I receive a card in the mail telling me it is ready to be picked up at Melbourne Airport. One lengthy roadtrip later, I am holding my Iphone.

When I turn it one, the Sim isn't recognized. So I attempt to call Customer service on my then current optus prepaid. 70 minutes later, I run out of credit and the call drops.

At this point I'd like to mention that ever customer service call followed the SAME LARA prompts/answers. What would you like to do? "Activate my SIM". Please provide your mobile number? "I don't have a mobile number because you haven't given me one". I'm sorry, please repeat that.
In the end, I just yelled CONNECT ME THROUGH TO AN OPERATOR until it eventually did.
And then the Operator would ask what my mobile number is, and all I could answer was "I don't know because you haven't given me one yet". Always greeted with stunned silence.

The next day, I go to a Vodafone store centre telling them of my problem. They let me use their phone to call customer service. After talking to lara, I finally get through to rep, only to have the call drop after I answered their initial "what is your name" question.

So I call back, after another 50 minutes on hold, the same thing happens.
I ask the store rep what is going on, He shrugs and says "They are having trouble with the phone lines, I should just try again later"

Optimistic, I go home, to look up the next nearest store to me. I make my way there and ask to use their phone to sort out this mess. Another 2 tries later, a total of 60 minutes on hold, and 2 dropped calls as soon as I was connected to a representative. Again, I ask the store assistants what is going wrong and they quite rudely tell me to go home and try it later.

The next day, I decided to buy more credit for my prepaid phone, hoping they had sorted their phone issues out. After half an hour on hold, and then being dropped as soon as I got through. I gave up for the rest of the day.

The next day (friday), I went to my parent's house (as they have a phone line - I didn't), and at 0930, nice and early, I call up tech support. This time (after 20 minutes on hold of course), I don't get dropped. And tell the representative what is happening. After a lengthy explanation that they haven't given me a mobile number yet and I need my SIM activated (which at this point I find out, isn't usually needed), I am told it will be operational in 20 minutes.

At 3pm, I call back, same deal, it will be ready in an hour.
At 4pm, I call back, again, it will be ready in half an hour (Support closed at 5pm).
At 4:30pm, I call back, and am on hold until 4:59, At which point, I am answered, and then hung up on due to closing time.

That monday, I go back to a store, and tell em my problem, and that they should ring up as a staff member to sort this problem out. (I was assuming they had some sort of priority line to skip the customer service queue - this is untrue). Eventually, I am told that my Credit check failed and that I would not be able to get an Iphone.

You mean this Iphone right here? - as I showed him what I was holding.
A mate of mine applied for the same plan + iphone, and was rejected on credit check (for some bizarre reason, his credit was fine).

So now I'm confused as to why I have been rejected, and yet still sent this iphone. I'm just about fed up and ready to leave (can you blame me?) - resolving to keep the iphone, unlock it, and go with a better telco, when the store rep rings up again, and this time tells me...

That my driver's licence number was input wrong.
He inputs it, and in 5 minutes, I'm connected.

It only took 2 months overdue, and a week of hassling to get my new iphone working and operational.
But now I get to experience the constant call dropouts, Data interruptions, crappy reception and horrible customer service Vodafone has to offer!

When my contract is up, NEVER AGAIN VODAFONE. NEVER AGAIN.
27 Dec 2010 10:32:06 PM: WOW!..thats just unbelievable
28 Dec 2010 12:00:15 AM: I really should have pushed for atleast 3 months free service or something, I think I was just ruined to resignation in the end :(